Voyage of the Pirate Ship Rikkaidai
by Whisper Reilman
Summary: Actual Title: The Fantastic, Amazing, and Awe Inspiring Voyage of Pirate Ship Rikkaidai.  In which there is mutiny, swordplay, and Yukimura in a very snazzy hat.  Oneshot.


The hat did nothing for his hair but was compulsory for his station and seemed to give the crew an odd sort of comfort. Yukimura thought a sensible bandana would have been more functional. Really, all the crew cared about was the map in Yukimura's hand, the watersplotched diagrams leading to a treasure of untold bounty. He knew certain members of the crew coveted the map, would kill for it.

"Secure the sails! Put your backs into it!"

They would have to get through his first mate to get to it, though, and to date no one had been successful in passing the barricade that was Sanada. Sanada stood, tall and broad, above the rest of the crew and was known to be able to crush a skull in one hand. Yukimura didn't know if the rumors had any truth in them; he just knew that the last searat who threatened mutiny was quickly tossed off the side of the ship with a heavy length of chain to sink him to the bottom of the sea.

"I'm _stuck_!"

Yukimura supposed the hat had some good qualities. For one, it blocked out the sun while he stared up into the rigging to watch Kirihara sway, his foot stuck in a rope. If the kid weren't Sanada's cousin, he would've been swimming with the fish three ports back, or perhaps sold to one of the camps as a working boy.

"Niou!" Yukimura turned to the one-eyed sailmaster. "Get him down from there and set him to work in the kitchen. Tell Bunta I don't want to see the kid's face until sundown."

"Aye captain!" Niou saluted and flew up the rigging, swinging from sail to sail until he was just over Kirihara. "Mind the drop," he snickered, freeing the knot with a few twists. "The last bit's really nasty."

Kirihara's head was saved from impact with the deck when Sanada walked forward and grabbed him out of the air by the ankle. "Stop playing around," the first mate warned, setting Kirihara to the ground. "We don't have room for anyone who can't carry his weight."

"Yes sir!" Kirihara saluted while he scrambled to his feet. "It won't happen again, sir!"

Sanada adjusted his dingy bandana and nodded to Niou. "Take him away."

Niou scratched at the patch over his left eye. "My eye's twitching again," he said. "Storm'll be over soon." He grabbed Akaya's arm. "Let's get going before you get tangled in your own feet again."

Yukimura was never certain if Niou was mad or simply eccentric. He didn't particularly care which it was, so long as the man continued to give accurate weather reports via his blind eye and kept the main sail in good repair. If the boat was happy, Yukimura was happy. If the boat was unhappy, heads rolled and bodies floated until the boat was happy again.

That was the law of pirate ship Rikkaidai.

**&-&**

"Look kid, you're two flaps of a sail from getting tossed off this boat. Screw up again and Sanada won't be able to save you." Niou looked at the dejected boy following behind him. The kid was young, fourteen at most, and had horribly flushed cheeks and not a scar on him, despite multiple tumbles from the mainmast. Niou'd lost count of the scars on his body and just kept a tally of the ones on his right arm. If the rope burn from the previous day scarred, he'd be up to nineteen.

"Sorry, sir." The kid's shoulders slumped more and his feet dragged as they walked the corridor to the galley.

"Nobody sirs me, kid. Name's Niou; no misters or sirs or any of that polite crap they use to make themselves feel good on the mainland." If the kid survived long enough, he'd learn that the only safe port a sailor had was his own quarters, and even then he best hide a pistol under his pillow.

Niou tapped on the side of the galley doorframe; the only proper door on the ship was to Yukimura's quarters. Pots clanked and a muttered, "Dammit, what is it this time?" preceded the ship's cook.

"I brought you a present," Niou said, shoving Kirihara forward. "And it ain't even your birthday. Don't you feel lucky?"

Marui grabbed Kirihara by the shoulders and spun him around. "You're small, so you won't take up much space." He looked up to Niou. "Captain's orders?"

"Captain's orders." Niou chose not to laugh at Marui's obvious agitation – he was fond of meals and Marui and the Captain had the only keys to the food lockers. Upsetting the cook meant a day, maybe even a week without a meal.

"Tell the captain the kid'll be bringing him his tea." Marui grabbed a towel that sat on his shoulder and wiped flour off his hands. "Slack off in my kitchen and I'll have you put in the hold for the night. Sleeping with the crazy old man'll straighten you right out."

Kirihara shivered and chirped out, "Yes, sir!" before huddling back in on himself.

Marui slapped his towel back onto his shoulder. "Sir. S'got a good sound to it. Keep it up, kid."

Niou grabbed Marui's towel and smacked him across the head. "Don't get used to it. It's the only respect you'll be getting unless you hurry it up with the grub. Captain's getting pretty vocal up there and the crew just finished repairing a busted trysail. There's a lot of hungry men up there, and they'll be wanting meat with their meal tonight." Niou's eye roved to the meat locker, where a fresh plunder of salted bacon sat, waiting. The freighter they looted mid-storm yesterday was carrying a slaughterhouse full of goods, most of which were in the hold, awaiting the next port and a ready market. Yukimura was generous, though, and refreshed the ship's stores with a rare treat.

"Stop drooling on my floor and get back to work." Marui took Kirihara by the shoulders and moved him into the galley. "I'll send the kid up to ring the bell when we're done."

Niou gave Kirihara one last grin and made his way back above deck. He still had to check the stays to make sure Kirihara's little stunt didn't compromise their stability.

**&-&**

The kid was a disaster. After Kirihara nearly stabbed his hand through cutting off slabs of bacon, Marui set him to cleaning dishes. "Make sure you scrub the captain's set so he can see his face in it. You don't want to see the captain when he thinks there's a smudge on his dish."

Kirihara scrubbed harder, eyes wide with panic.

"Been on the wrong end of the captain's temper, eh?" Setting his knife down, Marui hovered over Kirihara, watching him work. "Don't you worry too much about his tempers. I've given him a good share of smudged dishes and spoiled stew and he hasn't walked me down the plank yet, just tossed me around the boat a little. You're young so the bruises should heal quickly."

"He hates me," Kirihara grumbled, the silver plate in his hands slipping down into the bucket of water at his feet. "He says I can swim with the sharks for all he cares."

"That would be an accurate description of his relationship with the entirety of his crew, I believe."

Marui cringed at the tap of dress shoes against the galley floor. "Yagyuu, shouldn't you be steering this thing?" Marui stepped between the navigator and the kid, if only to spare Kirihara the ominous glow of Yagyuu's monocle glinting in the dim light.

"The captain has the helm at the moment. There are some course changes required on the map." Yagyuu didn't say that he wasn't allowed to look at the map because only the captain and the first mate ever came within reading distance of the yellow parchment. "I'm to return with his tea."

"Yeah, yeah. I was gonna send it with the kid, but I guess he can stick around and wash dishes some more." Marui dusted off his apron and grabbed a cup. "The warming pot's in one of the jolly boats today." He turned to Kirihara and pointed to the mound of dirty dishes still to be cleaned. "That stack better be smaller when I get back."

"Yes, sir."

Marui grinned and straightened up. "He calls me sir," he said to Yagyuu as they left, moving toward the center hatch. "Makes me feel like the gentlemen you always claim to be."

Yagyuu didn't rise to bait, just moved up the hatch and waited on deck while Marui remembered which boat he'd left the metal can on.

"You know," Marui said, finally locating the pot with the captain's tea, "if you just smiled a bit and didn't walk around like you had a peg leg up your ass, the captain might be willing to let you see the map."

Yagyuu coughed into his handkerchief. "Perhaps discussing this on the deck isn't the wisest course."

Marui shrugged and poured lukewarm sun tea into Yukimura's cup. "Tell him it would've been warmer if he waited until the afternoon, when sensible people drink tea."

Yagyuu accepted the cup with a gracious incline of his head. "I'll be sure to convey your sentiments," he said. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I shall be delivering this to our esteemed captain." The sun shining off Yagyuu's monocle created a line of reflected light so sharp Marui was certain it could cut through the mainmast.

"I'm getting back to the kid before he wrecks my galley." Marui waved and ran back below deck, following the sound of dishes clattering to the ground.

**&-&**

Kuwahara Jackal considered himself a man of the world. Yukimura picked him up off the coast of Brazil and offered him a job on board as holdmaster. Unlike most of the crew, Jackal could read and write, and several languages at that. He supposed he could've fixed himself up with a proper job, something respectable like accounting, but there was no fun in accounting and here, on the Rikkaidai, he was free to come and go with the tide – so long as the captain approved, of course.

"Don't just stand there daydreaming; help if you want your meal on time." Marui smacked Jackal atop the head with his towel. "And get that monkey out of my kitchen. I've had enough trouble for one day." He eyed a very wet Kirihara. "He's soaked up half the bucket and there's still a pile of dishes to go."

Jackal took a good look at the first mate's cousin. "If you move the rag in circles, you'll get them clean faster," he said. "But you shouldn't be hanging around with Bunta's sort." He grabbed Kirihara's arm and hauled him up, dishrag and all. "I've got a full hold that needs to be inventoried and Sanada tells me you're not too dim with numbers, so let's get going." Jackal whistled and the monkey jumped away from Marui's head and onto Jackal's shoulder.

Kirihara stepped away from the monkey.

"Don't be afraid, she won't bite." Jackal scratched at his bald, tattooed head before extending the gesture to the monkey. "Mariposa's a good girl, aren't you sweetie?"

The monkey screeched.

"She can understand you?" Kirihara leaned forward to get a better look. Mariposa leaned forward, too, and their noses bumped.

Jackal patted Mariposa on the head and made a soft cooing sound. "She's a good sight smarter than some of our crew, I'll tell you that. And prettier, too."

Kirihara nodded, eyes not leaving the monkey. "Is she poisonous?" He put a hand forward to touch her but retracted it at the last moment.

"Only when I want her to be," Jackal laughed. "Only when I want her to be."

**&-&**

Yukimura looked into the cold, brown liquid that served as tea. "There's a port another day's sail from here. Make sure we find safe docking, Sanada."

"Aye, captain."

"And make sure that cousin of yours doesn't get in the crew's way. If need be, he can be placed in the hold with the other stowaway." Yukimura didn't usually keep captives, but the poncy aristocrat currently in detention was an exception. Yukimura could get good coin for the Duke of Mizuki, and the ship needed new sails. Combined with the loot from the last raid, there would be plenty to pay the crew and refurbish the ship. Then, it was on to the Treasure of Kantou.

"Aye, captain." Sanada saluted and turned to leave.

"And one more thing, Sanada." Yukimura picked up a dagger and flipped it through his fingers, eyes focused on it as it twirled in a blur of silver. "I've heard some rumors from the new crewmen we picked up, rumors that some of our hands aren't as loyal as they should be." The dagger flew from Yukimura's hands and toward a large map on the wall. "See that it's taken care of, would you?"

"Aye, captain." Sanada stood, waiting.

"Is there a problem, Sanada?"

The first mate looked from Yukimura to the daggered map and back. "Is that wise?" he asked. "Anyone can see it."

Yukimura shrugged and took another sip of his tea. "You have your orders. Carry them out. When I want discussion, you'll be informed." He waved Sanada off, waiting for the door to his cabin to close before relaxing back in his chair and having a good, long laugh. A good mutiny was just the thing to free up some cargo space on the ship.

**&-&**

"I could be gettin' my work done if you weren't shoutin' at me." Niou nodded his head toward a loose sail, even though he doubted Sanada knew the first thing about sailing. Sanada was first mate because he could smash any member of the crew into the floorboards in under six seconds. He was the enforcer and had the low IQ that was customary for the position. "Unless you want Yagyuu to come down here and ask why we're driftin' southerly. I'm sure we'd all enjoy that."

"The captain gives the orders and we follow them." Sanada's chest puffed out as he recited his favorite maxim. Niou wondered how hard the captain beat that particular phrase into Sanada's head and with which blunt weapons. "A boat doesn't run –"

"Unless all hands work together blah, blah, blah. I got the speech yesterday. You want your sails fixed or not?" He pointed to the flapping lower main-topsail. "Captain's not going to be too happy if we're set adrift and have to rechart our course."

"Continue on, then." Sanada stomped off toward the main hatch, yelling for another cup of tea for Yukimura.

"You'll get in trouble if you keep talking to him that way, Niou-kun."

Niou examined the sail while Yagyuu approached. "You know," Niou said, loud enough for all nearby hands to hear, "when someone helps you, you're supposed to say thank you." He turned, grinning. "Isn't that what a gentleman would do?"

Niou and Yagyuu had a long sailing history. Before the Rikkai, both men were sentenced to hanging for piracy on a small island off the coast of South Africa. Luckily, the Rikkai sacked the harbor for its sugar freighters and both Niou and Yagyuu were liberated and offered death or servitude on the finest pirate ship on the sea.

Had he known when their adventure started, some five years ago, that Yagyuu would turn out to be a pompous asshole, he might've bribed the captain to let the man hang. As it was, they were the most senior members of Yukimura's crew, not counting the captain's two dogs.

"I was under the impression that you didn't appreciate civil courtesies. I'll keep that in mind for the future."

"Too much talking, not enough working!" A stick tapped against the deck and Niou's posture automatically straightened. "We're a day to port, gentlemen, let's get this boat ready for action!"

Niou didn't know what Yanagi Renji's title was, all he knew was that Renji's walking stick doubled as a musket and, when Renji caught you slacking off too many times, you disappeared off the boat. Nothing got past Yanagi, not even the bottle of scotch Niou stole from the captain's quarters of the last vessel they sacked. The liquor was immediately confiscated and Sanada gave him five lashes for disobedience.

"Hey Yanagi, you seen the kid around recently? I heard he was supposed to be with Jackal today, but you know how reliable that old weasel is." Niou kind of liked the kid, despite how annoying he was. If Kirihara was tossed off into the ocean or sold at the next town, there wouldn't be anyone to steal snacks from the galley.

"Worry about your own tasks, Niou, and Jackal can worry about his." Yanagi's staff tapped the deck again and he turned.

"I don't believe questioning him was very wise," Yagyuu said, adjusting his monocle. "But I'm sure you considered that already."

Niou shrugged and began climbing up to the lower main-topsail to begin repairs. If Yanagi came again and the job wasn't finished, who knew what fresh levels of Hell awaited.

**&-&**

"Mariposa, hold that lantern still. We can't have the young master tripping down these stairs."

Kirihara could barely make out Jackal's silhouette in the dark of the hold so he followed the bobbing light of the lantern the monkey held in its tail. "Uh, what're we doing down here Jackal, sir?" He didn't want to sound disrespectful – cousin Genichirou warned him that disrespect wasn't tolerated and Captain Yukimura solidified that warning by flashing a gun that he said had a bullet with Akaya's name on it – but big, dark places gave him the creeps, as did the sound of laughter coming from the floorboards. "Is there someone else down here?" He knew there was a captive, but humans didn't make such a dry, high pitched noise, like a banshee with a soar throat.

"We've got to check the store for rats and make sure our visitor is comfortable." Even though there wasn't much light, Jackal's teeth sparkled when he grinned. "Don't you worry about it, though. I'll keep you safe." He reached back and clapped a hand to Kirihara's shoulder. "They say two nights in this hold'll put hair on the chest of a newborn babe."

Kirihara didn't want hair on his chest, just some lunch and a quiet room to cower in. "Stupid Sanada," he grumbled kicking at the air.

"Ah, he's a hardass, isn't he?" The monkey landed on Jackal's shoulder and his face was bathed in yellow light. "I bet it must be hard having to follow his orders all the time."

"He's stupid and doesn't know anything," Kirihara grumbled.

"Now don't go telling anyone I did this, but here you go." Jackal reached into a crate and pulled out a loaf of bread and a bit of cheese. "Bunta keeps extras down here, in case there's trouble upstairs. It' a secret between the three of us now, so don't go running your mouth about it, not to anyone."

Kirihara made a grab for the food and chomped it down greedily. "Not a word, I promise."

Jackal handed him another chunk of cheese. "There you go. Eat your fill and I'll start my work. Mariposa can keep you company."

Kirihara waved Jackal off as he descended into the darkness of the hold, heading toward that awful laughter.

**&-&**

"We're off course," Yagyuu said, staring at the roughly sketched map the captain gave him. "If we're to get to port on time, we'll need to maximize the forward winds and cut a path closer to shore." He turned to the sailor Yukimura assigned to be his runner to the sail hands. "Tell Niou we need all hands at their stations and the fore royal isn't secured properly."

"Aye, sir!"

"I've got a little bit of tea left in this pot so I figured I'd bring you some." Marui leaned against the wheelstand. "I hear right when you said we're moving closer to shore? On a night run?"

Yagyuu took the tea with muttered thanks and ignored the last comment. Marui knew little about how to run a ship, almost as little as the captain who, since Yagyuu joined the crew, had yet to spend more than five minutes on deck during smooth sailing. "How is your young charge?" he asked, marking down changes to the route with a bit of lead.

"He's with Jackal in the hold." Marui waited for Yagyuu to drain his cup. "Come down to the galley when your watch is over. We're going to have a quick chat while I get dinner ready."

"Is the vermin staying outside?" Yagyuu would never get used to the flea ridden rabies carrier Jackal called a pet. On the open ocean, all the monkey did was steal things, usually Yagyuu's monocle, and eat. Last night, the beast took Yagyuu's cheese and Jackal refused to give up his share as compensation.

"I'll tell Jackal to make Mariposa keep watch." Marui looked to the nearby captain's quarters. "My watch is over, so I'm heading below for a nap. See you later."

"What was all that about?" Niou swung down from the trysail and landed on Yagyuu's back. "Anything fun?"

"Nothing to concern yourself with," Yagyuu said. "Unlike a few sails that haven't been tied properly. Those might be of great concern."

"The men are on it," Niou assured, smacking Yagyuu on the back.

Yagyuu was fairly certain Niou would sell him to the authorities within a minute of docking if the captain didn't have strict policies against ratting one another out. Betraying your shipmates meant death, often by Sanada's hand or, if you were a special breed of slime, by Yukimura's. Yagyuu would do the same to Niou, if the money were good enough, so he chose to find comfort in their odd relationship of impending mutual betrayal. He could always trust Niou to be a self-serving bastard and he could always feel free to be the same in return.

Yagyuu had never been and would never be a team player.

"Marui was kind enough to bring me some tea, as I'll be working through the next watch to correct the deviations your lackluster comrades have caused." Ten yards from the captain's quarters, it wasn't safe to say that Yukimura's poor charting was also to blame, though Niou seemed to pick up the accusation from Yagyuu's many alterations to the map.

"Think we'll still get there by dark tomorrow?" Niou looked at the map, no doubt pretending he knew how to read it. If Niou was literate at all, he hadn't shown a sign of it in the last five years. It was possible, though, that he was waiting to reveal his skill until the last moment. Niou was horribly patient, much more so than Yagyuu.

"Of course we will, Niou-kun. I'll take us where we need to go."

**&-&**

Renji glanced over the map on Yukimura's wall and the dagger that was still embedded in it. "Throwing things again, Seiichi?"

"I'll do as I please in my quarters. What news do you have?" Yukimura's hat sat to the side of his desk, covering the treasure map. Renji'd seen the map several times, but it amused him that the captain felt the need to hide it.

"Yagyuu's changed the course of the ship without permission again. He claims it's to make up time from a sail being down, but my calculations indicate that we weren't thrown off course enough to require such a severe action. The delay to port was only a matter of an hour at most."

"His top concern is getting to port at the specified timer. So long as we get there, I've little concern as to how." Nevertheless, the captain scribbled something into his log. "Go on."

"Jackal took Kirihara into the hold an hour ago and they have yet to appear. I thought Sanada might be concerned that our prime mutiny suspect has his hands on the boy, but seeing as Genichirou isn't here, I'll assume the situation is well in hand."

"Is there any evidence that Jackal is behind the mutiny?" Yukimura looked up from his log. Renji would give his right leg to know what Yukimura wrote in there but, try as he might, he couldn't break the code Yukimura used.

"Nothing concrete yet, but I have a hunch-"

"Hunches won't do. Evidence, Renji, evidence. I won't shoot a capable holdmaster because you have indigestion." Yukimura closed his log and looked up, smiling. "But, do tell Bunta to prepare something delicious for dinner. We can restock once we pull in to port. I hear there are some rather nice merchant ships there this time of year, ripe for the picking."

"Aye, captain. I'll go directly."

**&-&**

Jackal tapped at the cage that served as the ship's jail. Usually Yukimura didn't take prisoners.

"Did you bring me something to eat?"

Normally prisoners weren't worth this much, though. Jackal was under express orders to keep the Duke alive and uncomfortable. "You'll get food when some of that extra padding on your chin falls off," Jackal said, tapping at the bars again. He lit the lantern next to the cage and looked over the area to make sure the pompous fool wasn't trying to escape.

"I'm important, you know. There are probably fleets of ships looking for me." Mizuki ran his fingers through his oily hair. "When the authorities get you, I will personally watch your hanging."

"Like that sort of thing do you?" Jackal took out his knife and struck out a tune on the bars. "You enjoy watching our kind swingin' from the gallows?"

Mizuki scooted back, cowering as far from the pirate as he could. "Your threats don't scare me!"

Jackal laughed and put his knife away. Reaching into the cage, he ruffled Mizuki's hair. "I'm not threatening you, your Lordship. We don't make threats on this boat, just promises." He grabbed Mizuki's chin and pulled him forward. "And I can promise you that if you breathe a word about what you've heard in this hull to anyone, I will personally flay you, nice n' slow. Are we understood?"

Mizuki gulped and jerked his face free of Jackal's hold. "You're not even a respectable pirate," he said, nose held high. "Your captain will hear of this and he'll-"

Jackal stared at the tongue he held in his fingers. "You don't need a tongue to live, your Lordship. If you're not careful, you could misplace it before we come to port. Wouldn't that be a tragedy?"

**&-&**

The sun was starting its descent when Sanada returned to Yukimura's quarters at first dog watch. "I observed the last watch and didn't find anything strange."

"I wouldn't expect that you would. The crew is very careful around you. Have you had the opportunity to question our informant yet?" Yukimura set down the gun he was cleaning and smiled. "I'm very interested to hear what he has to say."

Sanada didn't know why Yukimura was always cleaning that gun when, to this day, the captain had never used it. Yukimura preferred his sword and could, Sanada was certain, flay a bullet in midair. Everyone needed a hobby he supposed, even if it did use up the ship's store of grease at an unnatural rate.

"He's been occupied all day, though I did manage to catch him on the way to the galley. I'll debrief him tonight while Renji's watch is on duty." In the safety of Yukimura's overwhelming presence, Sanada allowed himself to take off his bandana and sigh. "I'll have my cousin off at the next port. He has some skill in masonry and will be able to get a job in a few days' time."

Yukimura clucked his tongue and snatched Sanada's bandana, shaking out bits of hair and dandruff. "Wash this thing, Sanada. It smells disgusting." He handed it back. "And I believe Kirihara is a member of my crew. Are you suggesting that you have say as to who stays and who goes on my ship?"

"No, captain."

Sometimes, Sanada thought life might have been better on his father's rice farm. The back-breaking work in the hot sun was simple and a good deal easier than trying to figure out what went through Yukimura's mind.

"Good. I'm getting fond of him. Perhaps I'll have him learn a few tasks on the ship, provided he doesn't trip on his own feet." Yukimura reached into his desk and pulled out a small piece of parchment. "See that he's proficient in assisting at one of these tasks by docking tomorrow."

Sanada examined the list and grinned. "Are you expecting some vacancies?"

Laughing, Yukimura sat back in his chair. "It's always best to clean out the rats before hunting for big game, Sanada. You know that."

He looked over the list one more time, selected his choice, and handed it back. "Aye, captain. And the fewer the hands, the larger the share of treasure."

**&-&**

"Didn't expect to see you here, Renji." Marui struggled to bring tin plates down from a cupboard and was thankful when Renji took the awkward stack from him.

"I have certain grievances that have not been addressed," Renji said. "I am doubtful that they will be resolved without dramatic action."

Marui stared.

"He's upset with the captain," Yagyuu said as he entered, leaning on the doorframe and taking up its entirety in his lazy pose. "Really Yanagi, you shouldn't use such confusing language."

"I wasn't confused," Marui grumbled. "He's got a lisp or something and I couldn't understand what he was sayin'." Marui hated that, just because he was a cook and newer to the crew, the others thought he was an idiot. It took a genius to cook such fabulous meals without so much as a stove. One day, Marui would refuse to cook and they'd be stuck starving in the open sea. Then they'd take notice. Then they'd show some respect.

"Sorry we're late. The kid got his foot caught in a crate while he was runnin' from a rat." Jackal scratched at his head and Marui wondered why there weren't claw marks up and down the skin. Jackal's nails were too long to belong to a guy who worked lifting boxes all the time.

"I didn't run from a rat," Kirihara grumbled. "It was three rats, and they had glowing eyes."

"I'm sure they did," Yagyuu said, herding Kirihara away from Jackal.

"I set Mariposa to guard," Jackal said, noting Yagyuu's eye on his shoulder. "I know some folk here don't understand the basics of companionship."

"No fighting in my galley," Marui said, readying his towel for any needed thwaps. "Now let's all speak our piece before I have to get dinner out."

"He's a spy," Jackal said, cocking his head toward Renji. "I don't think a second-mate would be consortin' with our sort."

"Aren't you proud of your vocabulary?" Renji set the plates he was holding on a counter. "Unfortunately, your analysis is incorrect. I have a number of reasons to want the captain gone, none of which are any of your concern."

"You're thinkin' you'll be the new captain, is that it?" Jackal took out his knife and began picking at his nails.

Marui tossed him an apple. "If you're flashing steel in here, you can get to work. And get the kid out of here."

"He's with us," Jackal said, cutting off a chunk of the apple and handing it to Kirihara. "Aren't ya, kid?"

Kirihara's shoulders stooped and he stared at the floor. "The captain's probably going to toss me out when we dock." His eyes welled up. "I don't want to go!"

Yagyuu's fist impacted with the doorframe, drawing all eyes to him. "Gentlemen, I believe our purpose this evening is to secure a plan, is it not? If we're to properly secure this vessel and dispose of the captain, we must do so before we pull into port tomorrow evening."

"I've copied the map, so there's no concern for Yukimura destroying it." Renji flashed a piece of parchment before placing it back into the safety of his pants. "The best time to go for the captain will be two hours before docking. We can hit him in his quarters while Sanada's preparing the jolly boats. Half the crew will be ahead in the long boats, preparing for the sack on the town. We'll simply dispose of the captain and imprison Sanada until he agrees to cooperate."

"No hurting Sanada!" Kirihara insisted. "Do whatever to the captain, but leave Sanada alone."

"Don't worry kid. We keep the useful ones." Marui tossed Kirihara an apple. "Have a snack."

Kirihara's eyes lit up and he tucked the apple away for later.

"There is a matter of the current captive to be addressed," Yagyuu said, looking to Jackal. "Are we to trust that you've got it handled, Kuwahara?"

"He'll be drugged to the teeth and drowning at sunset. I've already taken everything of value off him, and he's too scared to even scream at this point."

Marui watched Jackal laugh himself to a stomachache. "Renji, go tell the captain I've got his food almost ready. He'll want to tidy up his table. We'll continue when you get back."

Renji raised an eyebrow at being ordered but obeyed, pushing past Yagyuu as he passed through the door.

Yagyuu watched the hall until Yanagi was up through the hatch. "The spy's gone," he said, resuming his lazy blockade of the door. "I suggest we plan quickly, gentlemen."

**&-&**

"Interesting," Yukimura said, skimming the list of suspected traitors Renji brought with him. "I would never think Niou had the creativity to mutiny." He wagered half the list was accurate and half of it was either Renji being uncharacteristically dim or half the crew being uncharacteristically clever. Either was possible, which was why he had Sanada on the job as well. Sanada had a nose for discipline and those who would try to subvert discipline. Niou, while disrespectful, was never traitorous in his intent.

"It surprised me too, sir." Yanagi's eyes roved toward the map, curled and bound on Seiichi's desk. "It wouldn't surprise me if they staged their protest sometime tomorrow afternoon, sir, before we come into view of port."

"That would be the logical thing to do, assuming they work on logic." Yukimura's stomach grumbled. "You said Marui had dinner prepared? Have young Kirihara bring it to me. The boy might as well be of some use before I dump him into the bay tomorrow evening." Yukimura leaned his cheek into his palm. "Sanada claims the boy is useful, but he's failed in the simplest tasks. Such a shame. He could've been a fine sailor, don't you think?"

"I couldn't say, Captain. I haven't spent much time with the boy."

Yukimura hummed and looked to the map on his wall. "No loss, really. You couldn't have helped him." He stretched and cracked his jaw. "On your way to the kitchen, tell Sanada I would like to see him. The watch is almost over, so you can finish the last half hour."

Renji's hands gripped at the bottom of his ripped shirt. "Aye, Captain. As you wish."

As the door shut, Yukimura gave the treasure map on his desk a pat. "As I wish, indeed."

**&-&**

After a night and morning of preparing the ship to sack the harbor and run for it, Niou was glad to have afternoon watch off. Right when the sun was at its most intense, he was relaxing below deck in his hammock, ignoring everything for four blissful hours.

He did not expect to be awakened by a gunshot on deck, nor did he expect the call for all hands to come on deck with arms.

The afternoon was a shitty time for a mutiny; any sailor worth his sea legs knew that.

"Stay down here if you don't want to get hurt," a snickering voice chirped in Niou's ear.

Hand ready to make a grab for the dagger in his boot, Niou turned. "What're you doing down here, kid?" He noticed Kirihara's eyes were red, like he'd been soaking his head in seawater, and the kid was grinning so wide his face was going to split. "You get one too many lashes and lose your brain?"

Kirihara gripped the side of Niou's hammock and stared into his eyes at a range that would normally get him smacked. He was Sanada's cousin, though, and looked a little too unstable for Niou to chance violence. It was always best to let the crazies speak their piece and move on.

Then you stabbed them in the back.

"Look kid, the captain says I go up deck, then I go up deck. You go ahead and mutiny if you want to; I'll stick with the winning side." He grabbed his dagger and hopped off the hammock, grabbing a few knives from unoccupied spaces as he passed. Chances were the fools would never notice the weapons missing. Only an incompetent left his weapons behind, no matter how nice a day it was.

Up on deck, Yukimura and Sanada stood side by side on the edge of the quarterdeck. "Pathetic." Yukimura pointed his sword at a handful of men tied before him. "This mutiny wasn't worth waking up for. Take care of them, Renji."

There was a long pause, during which Niou ducked into hiding behind the foremast.

"I'm afraid I'm unable to comply with your wishes, Seiichi." Yanagi stepped forward, freeing the sailors that were bound.

"We've decided this ship could use some changes," Jackal said, cutting down a few hands who tried to resist his advancement.

Yagyuu approached from the wheel, gun trained to Yukimura's head. "We'll be taking the map, of course. I hope you don't mind, dear captain."

Yukimura handed the map over with a smile. "By all means, take the map. It won't do you much good when you're dead, though."

"Smooth words, captain, but you seem to be at a disadvantage." Jackal laughed while his sword tapped against Yukimura's throat. His laughter died when Mariposa screeched and fell from the rigging.

"I really hate that monkey," Kirihara said, hanging upside down from the stays. "Don't you, Captain?" With dexterity never before exhibited, Kirihara fell from the ropes, daggers flying from his fingers before he landed on his feet, knife to the back of Jackal's neck. "You shouldn't play with sharp things," he hissed. "Drop it."

Niou watched as Yagyuu, map in hand, snuck around the side of the quarterdeck. Niou hustled to the closest jolly boat, cutting the other man off. "Kind of shitty, stealing and running without so much as a goodbye." Niou eyed the boat and Yagyuu's drawn sword. "Not very gentlemanly at all."

"Shut up and help me get this boat in the water." Yagyuu sheathed his sword and unknotted the pulley rope. "If we hurry, we can be to port, charter a ship, and be on our way to the treasure before the mutiny is over."

Niou turned toward the mob at the other end of the boat, wondering if Marui was really going to get his cleaver in Kirihara's back or if the crazy kid would notice. Not his business, really. "You sure that map's a good one?"

Yagyuu removed his monocle and tucked it into his pocket. "If you'd like to die while thinking up ridiculous questions, Niou-kun, be my guest. I'm leaving."

With a sigh, Niou shoved the jolly boat off the edge and hopped in.

**&-&**

Sanada didn't have much to do during the mutiny but stand around, making sure no blades actually nicked Yukimura's skin. If the captain bled, the whole crew would get lashes, and Sanada wasn't sure his arm could hold up to that much work. He was proud that the private lessons he gave Kirihara were coming in handy, though the boy would have to work on his finesse. And his lines.

"You'll be sleeping with the squid if you move one muscle." Kirihara grinned and poked at Jackal a little more. "Isn't that right, captain?"

Yukimura sidestepped his aggressors and observed the remainder of his crew.

Sanada was just fast enough to push Yukimura out of the path of Renji's bullet, which shot into his bicep and out the back of his arm.

Yukimura grabbed the bandana off Sanada's head and tied it around his wound. "Don't just stand there gaping, Genichirou. Are you going to let him get away with shooting a hole in your arm?"

"No, captain!" Sanada hefted himself to his feet, clenching his jaw at the pain of lifting his right arm. Channeling his pain into a yell that echoed across the waters, he launched himself at Renji, sword sparkling in the sunlight.

**&-&**

The Duke of Mizuki was thrilled to find the door to his cell unlocked, even more thrilled to find that the small stash of food the small, snide pirate mentioned was still there. He wolfed down bread and cheese and helped himself to a bottle of wine. Really, without the cage, being a captive wasn't so bad. He could do with a bath and a change of clothes, perhaps a massage, but the snide little pirate told some marvelous stories when the hideous bald pirate wasn't about.

Wine bottle still in hand, he wandered out of the hold, looking for a bucket of water to wash up in.

He found, instead, a pink haired pirate stuffing a bag full of food. "You scream and I kill you," the pirate said.

Mizuki looked at the bag of food and couldn't help but salivate. There was bacon in that bag, large slabs of smoked bacon and logs of gouda. "I'm a very important person," he told the pirate. "If you were to take me ashore, I can assure you that my father will give you ample reward."

"Yeah, whatever. You'll just hang me like the rest of 'em." The pirate dragged the bag into the galley, throwing a few more supplies into it.

"You're a cook, are you? We can always use a good cook at our manor." Mizuki tried to grab for the bacon and found a knife quickly placed to his throat.

"Shut up," the pirate said. "And if your father so much as sends one guard after me, I'll find you and kill you, got it?"

Mizuki stumbled backwards, laughing to cover his terror. "I wouldn't dream of double crossing you…ah…"

"Marui. But you can call me sir."

"Right, Marui, sir. Well, shall we be going? I heard that there's an escape route out through the figurehead."

Marui shouldered his bag of food. "Where do you think I was headed?" He rolled his eyes. "A genius like me wouldn't be running without a brilliant plan."

Mizuki didn't care about brilliant plans so long as he got at that bacon and onto land within 24 hours. If he was lucky, the pirate would make a run for it and Mizuki wouldn't have to live the remainder of his life in fear of being poisoned at dinner.

**&-&**

Kirihara thought Sanada was awesome. Sanada's right arm was bleeding too much for him to hold a sword now, but the first mate was knocking down man after man with his bare hands, snapping them over his knee or elbowing them in a vital spot. When Kirihara grew, he wanted to be exactly like…

"You didn't think you could take me down with that sloppy swordplay, did you?"

…the captain. Kirihara wanted to be exactly like Captain Yukimura. While keeping an eye on the few remaining dissenters, Kirihara watched Yukimura battle Jackal. Yukimura's sword sliced through the air in movements so fast they whistled above the din of battle.

"Akaya! Don't just stand around! Be useful or get off my ship!"

"Yes, captain!" Kirihara jumped back into battle, standing back to back with Sanada while he disarmed Yanagi. Kirihara waited and waited for the men around them to advance, but it seemed like they were just cheering Sanada on and had no interest in fighting.

The fight was over in a disappointing matter of moments. Kirihara sighed as he tied Yanagi and Jackal up, affixing them to an extra anchor picked up for such an occasion. "My knots aren't so good," Kirihara admitted to Sanada. "Niou said he'd teach me, but he never did."

"Don't worry Akaya; I'll teach you all you need to know." Yukimura stepped forward, polished gun in hand. "Niou and Yagyuu seem to have jumped ship with our map, Sanada. Whatever shall we do?"

Kirihara wondered if he should tell the captain that Sanada was rolling his eyes. "Let's go get 'em!" Kirihara shouted instead. If the captain killed Sanada then Kirihara wouldn't have anyone to talk to when the captain was being mean.

Yukimura sighted the gun on their captives and smiled. "Oh, I don't think so. That map wasn't any good anyway. The real one's on my wall."

Renji's bruised eye opened wide. "The knife!"

Yukimura cocked the pistol. "Bingo. Shame you won't be around to see it." Yukimura paused, thoughtful. "Kirihara, go down to the kitchen and get lunch ready. We lost our cook and I won't miss lunch because of a little thing like a mutiny."

Kirihara ran off but couldn't escape the sound of shots ringing through the air, tolling out the law of pirate ship Rikkaidai.


End file.
